Bart Staes, MEP and ENVI (Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety) committee member has reported to the European Parliament that “We cannot afford to sacrifice certain of the European safeguards on the altar of free trade”

Although compromise in some areas has been achieved during TTIP negotiations the EU has adopted a very firm stance on fundamental issues. This includes Public Health Services, the EU has – in line with the views of the public in EU member states – declared that public health services will not be part of TTIP negotiations; the EU public health services, including the NHS, will not be opened up to U.S. companies.

This is not some piece of political maneuvering, a number of EU members have expressed very serious concerns about the protection of Public Health Services from US TTIP proposals.

The US negotiators were surprised about the resistance to their proposals, not being used to having such robust negotiators on the other side of the table.

The EU is protecting it’s citizens rights and privileges (both National and EU) by using it’s political and economic clout to keep European Public Health Services off the negotiating table.

Don’t take my word for it go here where, among other things, the EU discusses Public Health Services in regards to TTIP. Or go here for a post by Steve Peers on his EU law analysis blog.